Game 7 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Lore & Background

The series ended with a controversial triple-overtime goal in game six, when replays showed that Stars forward Brett Hull scored with his skate in the crease. Although the Sabres protested later, the league stated that the goal had been reviewed and was judged as a good goal, since Hull had maintained possession of the puck as it exited the crease just before he shot it. In the third overtime, Jere Lehtinen took a shot from the left circle that was deflected by Brett Hull but stopped by Dominik Hasek. Hull was not in the crease for the first shot. The rebound came near Hull's left skate, which Hull used to kick the puck to his stick, which was just outside the crease. His left skate entered the crease just before his second shot went in and ended the series.

In Their Own Story

The ice at Reunion Arena felt thinner than usual under the weight of expectation. As the overtime period ticked away, silence seemed to swallow the arena until the puck dropped into the slot. A blur of white jerseys collided with blue, sticks flailing in a desperate dance for possession. Suddenly, a deflection sent the black disc past Hasek's glove hand. For a split second, time froze; then, the roar erupted, shaking the very foundations of the building as Bret Hedican fell to his knees, the Stanley Cup finally within reach.

Reader's Guide

The Dallas Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher, head coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour. The Buffalo Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, head coach Lindy Ruff and goaltender Dominik Hasek. The Stars swept the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers, then defeated the fifth seeded St. Louis Blues in six games, and the second seeded Colorado Avalanche in seven games to advance to the Finals. The Sabres first swept the second seeded Ottawa Senators, then defeated the sixth seeded Boston Bruins in six games, and then defeated the fourth seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in five games to advance to the Finals.

Did You Know?

• This was the first Stanley Cup Final to not end in a sweep since 1994.
• It was the longest Cup-winning game in Finals history, and the second-longest Finals game overall, after game one of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final.
• This was the last championship for a Dallas-based major professional sports team until 2011, when the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in that year's NBA Final.
• To date, this is the last trip to the Stanley Cup Final for the Sabres.